This document discusses the importance of collaboration in achieving sustainable development. It defines sustainable development according to the Brundtland Commission as meeting present needs without compromising future generations' ability to meet their own needs. A place-based approach is emphasized, considering environmental, social, economic factors and intra- and inter-generational equity. The Sustainable Communities model provides eight components for collaboration across sectors and places. Case studies illustrate collaboration principles through regeneration partnerships in North Liverpool, Stewartstown Road in Belfast, and the Resurgam Trust in Lisburn. Guiding principles stress shared vision, action, and resources through inclusive, long-lasting area-wide collaboration and capacity building.

1. Creating a Sustainable Built Environment through
Education and Collaboration
University of Ulster: 8th May 2013
The Importance of Collaboration in Achieving Sustainable
Development
Professor Peter Roberts
Vice Chairman
Northern Ireland Housing Executive

2. Introduction and Structure
• There is little really new about sustainable
development in terms of fundamentals
• Essential to define sustainable development at
the outset:
• What is it?
• What can it achieve?
• What form will it take?
• How can it be implemented?

3. • How to translate sustainable development through a
place-based approach
• Sectoral and spatial dimensions
• Actions and resources
• The Sustainable Communities model
• Institutions, actors and individuals – inter and intra-
organisation dimensions
• Partnership and collaboration
• Some case study illustrations
• Summary and conclusions

4. Sustainable Development: Antecedents
• This is an idea and an ideal with a long history.
• Ebenezer Howard’s “social city” encapsulated many of
the elements of sustainable development, such as
“pro-municipal work” in order to develop and
implement what we now call sustainable places.
• Patrick Geddes viewed the city as a product of the
interaction between “nature”
(environment), “economics” and “the people” (society)
articulated through civic education and active
engagement.

5. • Artur Glikson’s term “human environment”
described what he called “the space which
surrounds human
movement, work, habitation, rest and
interaction”.
• By the 1960’s these items were beginning to
be seen as important in the wider debates on
development and growth and the limits to
growth – the Club of Rome report was very
influential in framing the subsequent debate.

6. Sustainable Development: Definition
• There are many definitions (or interpretations)
of sustainable development, but the only
universally accepted one is Brundtland’s
“development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs”

7. • This definition has three primary components:
• Environmental
• Social
• Economic
• And two elements of application:
• Intra-generational equity
• Inter-generational equity
• In considering the application of these
components and elements it is also essential
to consider politics and implementation

8. Sustainable Development: Key Considerations
• What is it? – it is the integrated consideration of the
environmental, social and economic dimensions of
development – this is essential in order to avoid
creating inequity or undesired “burdens”
• What can it achieve? – through a comprehensive and
integrated approach the intended outcome is an
informed and understood “balanced” decision which
reflects immediate and long-term considerations

9. • What form will it take: - whatever form is desired and
appropriate eg. a sectoral action, a city strategy, an
investment programme – the very essence of
sustainable development is that there is no “one-
size-fits-all”, but there are guiding principles and
shared objectives.
• How can it be implemented? – through applying the
principles and shared objectives to individual
decisions as well as strategies and long-term plans.

10. Sustainable Development and Place
• It is essential to consider sustainable development in relation
to place
Environmental Component
Intra-generational Inter-generational
Equity Equity
Place
Economic Component Social Component
Politics and Implementation

11. A Place-Based Approach
• This is the essence of a sustainable built environment
• Three main aspects and considerations:
• It is essential to intermesh spatial and sectoral dimensions through
the development and implementation of strategies
• But strategy alone will not deliver a sustainable built
environment, it is also essential to align actions and resources
• The above considerations have driven the development of the
Sustainable Communities approach – this is sustainable
development for places

12. Sustainable Communities
• A whole of place, whole of time, whole of community
approach that works across sectors and between places:
• Sustainable Communities model has eight basic components:
 Active, inclusive and safe
 Well run
 Environmentally sensitive
 Well designed and built
 Well connected
 Thriving
 Well served
 Fair for everyone
 And an extra essential component - placemaking

13. • By definition, the Sustainable Communities
model involves a wide range of people and
organisations collaborating through formal
partnerships and territorial coalitions

14. Institutions, Actors and Individuals
• Important to consider both inter-institutional
and intra-institutional elements – in large
public (or private) organisations different
departments don’t always collaborate
• Actors in the built environment range from
major public and private bodies to small
community-based organisations and
individuals – they all have a legitimate “voice”

15. • Essential to consider the role of the individual as a
citizen and as a stakeholder – the role of individuals
is frequently ignored by professionals and this can
hinder long-term community “ownership”
• Democratic legitimacy and accountability are
important because interventions in the built
environment frequently involve public interests and
goods – government and governance are essential
considerations in order to ensure that the public
interest is best served

16. Partnership and Collaboration
• In the past (when funding was readily
available) some partnerships reflected the
“temporary suspension of mutual loathing in
pursuit of public funding”
• But nowadays partnerships and collaborations
have to be much more meaningful, deeper
and permanent, but they don’t have to be
legal or formal entities

17. • Some key characteristics of partnership and collaboration:
 Need for strategic agreement, plan and objectives – these create
certainty and confidence
 Role of rules of engagement – equal partners and the allocation of
responsibilities
 Belonging is as important as leading – shared leadership helps with
delivery and generating trust
 Data and resource pooling – immediate and succession planning are
equally important
 Short-term structures and long-term capacity building – area-
based, multi-purpose collaboration works best
 Need to go beyond short-term professional intervention in order to
ensure long-term management

18. Some case study illustrations 1
• These are illustrations and reflect the
principles and good practice of collaboration –
they are NOT “one-size-fits-all” models
• Beautiful North – “not an organisation – a
movement”
North Liverpool – an area subject to a massive
range of environment interventions over a fifty
year period

19. Most recently an abandoned Housing Market Renewal
Area programme –
voids, abandonment, dereliction, deprivation, degraded
environment and social distress
Wide collaboration – Liverpool City Council, Liverpool
Housing Trust, Merseyside Police, Everton FC, Liverpool
FC, Aurora Media, Liverpool Mutual Homes, Plus
Dane, Tesco and many more
Ten principles – delivery led, collaboration not
competition, willing partners, mandated leaders, asks and
offers, participation not consultation, multi-agency
teams, no budget, positive place marketing, less on
running and more on doing

20. Some Case Study Illustrations 2
• Stewartstown Road Project – not just a
partnership but a coming together of
opposing communities
West Belfast – an interface area subject to
distrust, violence and confrontation
Initial joint working between Northern Ireland
Housing Executive and Suffolk Community Forum,
this then extended to Lenadoon Community
Forum and also involved Belfast Interface Project

21. Extensive collaboration – both community forums,
Belfast City Council, NIHE, International Fund for
Ireland, EU Peace Fund, Lidl, Mivan Development
and others
Principles of working – regenerate and revitalise,
create and manage an attractive and vibrant
environment, generate a secure place, enhance
social and economic development, provide
commercial and retail facilities, promote cross-
community working and trust, equal partners

22. Some Case Study Illustrations 3
• Resurgam Trust – a development trust that embraces
community and other partners to deliver youth,
social, economic and physical development.
• Broadly based partnership structure which
encourages collaboration from central and local
government, agencies, community organisations and
others in Lisburn and beyond.
• Engages in regeneration activities including built
environment, social enterprise, training, wellbeing,
youth, senior citizen, children and families and other
projects.
• Keen to extend collaboration to include community –
to – community mentoring and support.

23. Conclusions and Guiding Principles
• Partnership and collaboration have now
become essential elements of the policy and
practice landscape
• In an era of austerity it is even more essential
to collaborate in order to: create a shared
vision, agree actions and outputs, co-ordinate
activities and pool resources – the partnership
is more than the sum of the parts.

24. Leadership is essential, but this must be
mandated from the grass root and has to be
shared throughout the collaboration.
Collaboration should be about much more than
an individual project or just the built
environment, it should be area-wide, inclusive and
lasting.
Some partners will require time and assistance in
order to develop capacity – this is essential to
ensure effective succession and progression and
can be enhanced through training and mentoring.